Ohio Derby: Corrales subs for injured Loveberry on Two Phil’s
Gerardo Corrales will ride morning-line favorite Two Phil’s in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby after Jareth Loveberry suffered a chest injury in a training accident this week.
Trainer Larry Rivelli confirmed in a Friday text message to Horse Racing Nation that Corrales would take the mount for the $500,000 race Saturday at 6:20 p.m. EDT at Thistledown.
The accident and injury were reported Thursday by the website BettingNews.com. The story of the rider change was posted Friday by Thoroughbred Daily News.
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“I guess the news is out there now,” Loveberry said Friday in a midday post on Twitter. “I’m devastated not to be riding Two Phil’s this weekend. Hopefully the (doctor) report won’t let me be out too long.”
Agent Steve Leving told HRN on Friday morning that the extent of Loveberry’s injury had yet to be determined by doctors. “Not until Jareth consults with a specialist,” he texted.
Loveberry was taken in an ambulance to a hospital near Canterbury Park on Thursday night, when he had ridden in four stakes races but begged off a fifth because of the intensifying pain. Leving told The TDN that Loveberry may have a pectoral tear, which could mean months of recovery.
A horse Loveberry was riding Wednesday morning at Ellis Park stumbled and rolled over on him, according to BettingNews.com and The TDN. After he was told he did not break any bones, Loveberry flew to Minnesota to try and fulfill his riding commitments Wednesday night.
Loveberry rode Two Phil’s to a pair of Grade 3 victories before a second-place finish last out in the Kentucky Derby. Owned by Vince Foglia, Phillip Sagan and Sol Kumin, the Hard Spun colt with a record of 9: 4-2-1 and purse earnings of $1,283,450 drew post 4 in the field of eight and was made the 8-5 morning-line favorite for the 1 1/8-mile Ohio Derby.
Corrales has been riding lately at Ellis Park, where he is 22: 4-1-3 since the start of the current meet nearly two weeks ago. His biggest win this year came at Churchill Downs with the gelding Nobals in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint (G2) on the Kentucky Derby undercard.